Stockport

Health improved substantially in Stockport in the 10 years leading up to 2011. Data from the census also show there were changes in religion.

The population decreased

In the decade leading up to the most recent census, the population of Stockport fell by 0.4%, from just under 285,000 to 283,000.

The loss of about 1,000 people means this area's population decreased by 0.4% between that last two censuses, while the population of England increased by 7.9%

In 2011, Stockport was home to, on average, 16 people per football pitch-sized piece of land (about 7,140 square metres).

Population density was higher than the average across the North West

Population density (usual residents per 7,140 square metres) across the North West, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

An older Stockport

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Stockport increased by two years, from 39 to 41 years.

This affluent area had a higher average age than the North West and remained slightly older than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The rise in age was because of an increase of just over 4,500 people between the ages of 60 and 69 years, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by almost 10,000.

About 11% of people in Stockport are aged between 60 and 69 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, North West and Stockport by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Health improved

The percentage of residents that perceived their health as good or very good increased in Stockport, but at a slower rate than in nearby Manchester.

In Stockport, the proportion of people describing their health as good or very good increased from 69% in 2001 to 81% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion in Manchester increased from 65% to 80%.

Across the North West, the share of residents that perceived their health as good or very good increased from 67% to 79%.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Stockport fell from 9.1% to 5.6%, while the percentage of people in ’fair’ health decreased from 22% to 13%.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’good’ or ’very good’ health was higher than across the North West

Percentage of usual residents that that said their health was good or very good across local authority areas in the North West and the average across England, March 2011

Religion in Stockport

The number of people in Stockport that described themselves as having no religion increased from just over 40,000 in 2001 to about 71,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 14% to 25% of the local population.

The percentage increased by more than the average across the North West (from 10% to 20%) and the average across England (from 15% to 25%).

The number of people in Stockport that described themselves as Christian decreased from just over 210,000 in 2001 to about 180,000 in 2011 (from 75% to 63%). The number of people who did not disclose their religious affiliation decreased from about 20,000 to just under 19,000 (from 7.1% to 6.5%).

Just over 9,400 people (1.8%) said they were Muslim, up from about 5,000 in 2001 (3.3%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between religious groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population without a religion in Stockport increased by 11 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, North West and Stockport by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Fewer people worked long hours

The percentage of employed people in Stockport working more than 49 hours in the week before the census decreased from 12% to 8.5% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

In 2011, just over 1 in 40 (2.8%) people aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) said they had worked less than 16 hours the previous week, compared with 1.7% in 2001.

The proportion of people working long hours fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the North West (from 11% in 2001 to 8.3% in 2011). Across England, the proportion fell from 13% to 10%.

Long hour working in Stockport decreased by 3 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Stockport, the North West and England that said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

Rise in rate of unemployment

The percentage of Stockport residents that were unemployed increased from 2.5% to 3.9% in the decade leading up to the most recent census.

In 2011, just under 6 in 10 (55%) people aged 16 to 74 said they were employed, compared with 56% in 2001. The percentage of Stockport residents that were self-employed increased from 8.4% to 9.6%.

The proportion of unemployed people increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the North West (from 3.6% in 2001 to 4.7% in 2011). Across England, the proportion increased from 3.4% to 4.4%.

The rate of unemployment in Stockport increased by 1.4 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 in Stockport, the North West and England that said they were unemployed, March 2001 and March 2011

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